The present invention is directed to a kitchen appliance configured to cool and/or heat foodstuff and, more particularly, to a slow cooker or other such kitchen appliance configured both to cool foodstuff for an extended period of time and/or cook foodstuff at an elevated temperature for an extended period of time.
Slow cookers and other such kitchen appliances are generally known. Slow cookers typically include an outer base, a container removably positioned within the outer base and a lid removably mounted to the top of the container or the outer base to enclose the container within the outer base. The housing typically has an electrically-operated control and heating element(s) for heating foodstuff placed within the container. Typical slow cookers require the user or consumer to set a timer mounted on the exterior of the outer housing to control the length of time for which the slow cooker heats and cooks the foodstuff within the container.
When a user or consumer desires to cook foodstuff within a typical slow cooker, it is usually necessary to preserve the uncooked foodstuff within a separate refrigerator or other such device to preserve the foodstuff until the consumer or user is ready to cook the foodstuff within the slow cooker. Therefore, if a consumer or user prepares foodstuff in advance, it is necessary for the user to place the prepared foodstuff within the refrigerator for an extended period of time to preserve the foodstuff before cooking it in the slow cooker.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a device that would allow a user to preserve cooled foodstuff within the container of the slow cooker for an extended period of time while the user is unable to attend to the foodstuff and to automatically actuate a cooking cycle of the slow cooker to begin cooking the foodstuff at some point in the future. For example, it would be desirable to allow a user such that prior to going to bed or leaving for work, the user may place foodstuff within the container of the slow cooker and place the slow cooker within the outer housing. This device could then be programmed to chill the foodstuff or maintain cold foodstuff in a chilled condition for a preset amount of time and begin a cooking cycle at the conclusion of this preset amount of time. Thus, it would be desirable to include a chilling cycle within a slow cooker to aide in preserving the foodstuff while the user is unable to attend to the foodstuff or before it is desired that the cooking begins.